America s Boating Club. The Plotter. From the Commander:

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1 America s Boating Club 2016 Volume 55 Issue 3 The Plotter June 2017 From the Commander: Problems with tugs and infrastructure hobble new Panama Canal Only half of the projected number of ships per day are transiting thru the new canal locks due to a lack of staff and infrastructure. East Coast Ports invested Billions of Dollars in improvements to Accommodate Panamax Ships-Will the Panama Canal Authority correct the problem before it gets worse? WASHINGTON- Larger ships, known as NeoPanamax, were expected to visit ports on the Eastern Seaboard this year, bringing shipping containers from Asia through an expanded Panama Canal. But due to insufficient operational resources within the Panama Canal, far fewer ships than expected have made the passage. The $9.4 billion investment by the Panama Canal Authority in a third set of locks was supposed to double the tonnage capacity of the Canal. However, according to the Authority s own transit records, the new locks are operating at about half their anticipated capacity. A shortage of tugs and trained crew has limited the Authority s ability to efficiently move the mega-ships through the locks. Instead of the anticipated 12 vessel transits per day through the expanded canal, only a maximum of six are being completed. This is like building a massive office tower without sufficient elevators to carry workers quickly to their offices, said Captain Don Marcus, the President of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots. Marcus union represents sea captains and deck officers on U.S.-flagged vessels, as well as many of the captains and crews on tugboats in U.S. ports and Panama. The locks, designed in the early 1900s, and in continuous operation for more than a century, rely on locomotives moving on the side of the canal to tow vessels. In contrast, the new third set of locks serving mega-ships are moved by powerful tugboats in a very complicated and risky process that has been documented by the insurance company Allianz. It was estimated that the canal expansion would require 70 to 90 of these more powerful tugboats. In practice Become a Skilled Boater America s Boating Course is the United States Power Squadrons basic boating knowledge course. It contains the skills you need to make sound decisions on the water for both inland and coastal boating. It will be offered as a classroom course on Saturday, June 24, 2017, 9:00 Am to 4:00 PM, at Travis County West Service Center, 4501 Ranch Rd 620 N, Austin, TX The fee is $40.00 per student for the text and State of Texas Certification. The fee for a couple is $50.00 for State of Texas Certification and a shared text. Fees are collected at class time. For anyone taking this class, registration is now on our USPS website, This course meets the requirements for persons born on or after September 1, 1993, for the State of Texas Boater Certification. Lt/C Christine Geist, SN Squadron Education Officer however, only 33 of 48 tugboats owned by the Panama Canal Authority are operational on a good day. Tug captains employed by the Authority report that many of the canal tugs are not suitable to handle large container ships. Eight tugs purchased from China are poor performers and not fully used, and at least 10 other tugs are not operational. The shortage of appropriate tugs is not entirely the Panama Canal Authority s fault. Harbor pilots worldwide report that NeoPanamax vessels have limitations on their ability to maneuver which, when combined with their increased size, make them extremely difficult to control. These factors have required a greater number of the more powerful tugs than was initially expected. (continued on page 2)

2 o The Plotter is the official publication of the Austin Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons. Address correspondence and contributions to the editor: Steve Schmidt, phone number in squadron directory Or to address: secretary@austinpowersquadron.org We retain the right to edit any material submitted to The Plotter. Unless otherwise noted, photos by Matt Syptak and Steve Schmidt. APS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Commander Cdr. John Causey, SN Executive Officer - Lt./C Ed Fredholm, JN Educational Officer - P/D/Lt/C Christine Geist, SN-IN Admininstrative Officer P/C Jesse Comeaux, JN Secretary -- P/C Ginny Strong, AP Assistant Secretary - Lt. Jan Comeaux Treasurer - P/D/C Charles Strong, JN Assistant Treasurer - P/C Ginny Strong, AP Member at Large - Lt James L. Pollok, S Member at Large - Libby English Member at Large - Dan English Member at Large - P/C Steve Schmidt, JN COOP ERATIVE CHARTING Our first geodetic charting event of 2017 was held Sunday, June 4. A small group met at McDonald s to map out destinations then proceeded in 3 vehicles to search for marks between Bergstrom Airport and Lockhart, TX. Approximately ten marks were recovered before ending the search with lunch at Kreuz Barbeque in Lockhart.. The next one will be on a weekday (Tues, Nov. 20) north of Austin and then later, another one on a Saturday most likely west of Austin this is all to offer a time and place to suite everyone. The national committee has announced that reports are now being accepted for nautical charting. There are not a lot of guidelines available yet and just as the new geodetic program took about a year to be firmed up, the new nautical program will also have to evolve. (continued from page 1) The safety and transit problems in the Third set of Locks were evident from the beginning. The New York Times documents this in a July2016 story entitled Fender Bender on the Water (The Expanded Panama Canal). You would think the Authority would address the problem and acquire more tugboats and train additional crews, said Marcus. They have a canal that s working at half of its capacity and is not generating the projected revenues. As a stop gap, they hired a Venezuelan company to provide additional tugboats. The waters around the Panama Canal can be very tricky because of difficult currents and tight maneuvering into locks. The NeoPanamax vessels and LNG carriers generally require at least two tugboats to move through the new locks. There isn t much room for error. In February, the Associated Press documented that many vessels were scraping the walls of the locks and wearing out the newly constructed walls and doors. The Authority is at a critical point, said Marcus. Everyone acknowledges that there is a shortage of tugs and trained tugboat captains. In order for the new locks to be a success, the Authority must complete its investment in infrastructure and personnel. Bringing in a Venezuelan company to provide tugs and crews who lack sufficient training and English language skills, unlike crews employed by the canal authority, is not a solution. It will create greater problems. The Venezuelan company s employees do not go through the rigorous 2.5 training and certification process that is required for captains employed by the canal authority. And, for the first time in the canal s history you will have these sensitive operations conducted by an outside Venezuelan company rather than direct employees of the Panama Canal authority, thus creating safety and security questions. Added Marcus, Ports in the U.S. and as far away as the U.K. have made investments based on the canal expansion. The canal is of vital strategic importance and is critical to trade. The Panama Canal Authority must live up to its commitments, acquire additional tugs and train and hire Panamanian personnel to operate them. The Canal administration needs to take these actions now. In the United States, ports on the Atlantic coast such as Savannah, Jacksonville and New York have spent billions of dollars dredging harbors and raising bridges. (The above article is quoted from the April 21 st newsletter from the American Journal of Transportation, Cdr John Causey SN-IN P/C Steve Schmidt, JN APS Coop Charting Chairman Page 2

3 AMERICAS BOATING CLUB Join Us for America s Boating Course for experienced and new boaters! Learn boating lingo, navigation rules and aids, equipment and operating systems, charts, maps and an intro to piloting. When: Saturday, June 24, 2017, 9:00 am -4:00 pm Location: Conveniently presented at Travis County West Service Center, 4501 RR620 North Cost: $30.00 per person or $40.00 per person with Texas State Certification Earn your Texas Boater Education Certification and earn potential insurance deductions. (You also receive a 270 page boating manual with everything you ever wanted to know about boating). THIS IS TIME WELL SPENT FOR EVERY BOATER Call BOAT (2628) for details, Pre-register online: Page 3

4 2017 D-21 FALL CONFERENCE CRUISE October 12-16, 2017 Aboard the Carnival Cruise Ship VALOR Itinerary Cruise Pricing 12 Oct. Thur. Depart 1600hrs Interior, Double Occupancy $465.00pp 13 Oct. Fri. At Sea (Conference Meetings) Ocean View, Double Occupancy $515.00/520.00pp 14 Oct. Sat. Cozumel, Mexico Balcony, Double Occupancy $620.00/630.00pp 15 Oct. Sun. At Sea (Meetings & Seminars) 3 rd &4 th Person in same room $230.00pp 16 Oct. Mon. 0800hrs Prices include $99 Port charge, $57 Taxes, $50.81 Gratuities and a Private D-21 Cocktail Party!!! Booking: THESE PRICES ARE STILL GOOD! Prices are for booking by 18 November 2016 w/ $150 pp deposit to hold price and cabin and $150 by 1June 2017 with balance due 14 August 2017 May book any time after 18 November 2016, but price may be higher Book on-line at or contact Charlene Broyles, /cboyles@campbelltravel.com or Debbie McLaughlin at debbie@ricotours.com to book cabins or upgrades Other questions contact P/C Jesse Comeaux, jcomeaux2@att.net or P/C Chet Geist, chetg@austin.rr.com Page 4

5 YOUR HELP IS NEEDED Austin Power Squadron will be presenting another America s Boating Course on Saturday June 24 th. Many new members come from that class, but we are not getting people taking the course. Will you help by getting a boating friend, a neighbor or a relative to take this course? It would be even more helpful if you offered to pick them up and go with them to the class. Are you doing anything to help us stay in the boating education business? Did you know? Seafood Carry-out at South Padre The Secretary s Department includes the following departments: Assistant Secretary Squadron Newsletter Committee Information Technology Committee Roster Committee Historian Photography The Secretary shall have custody of all corporate records, bylaws and corporate seal. The Secretary also keeps a record of all proceedings of the squadron and executive committee. Keeps an update of all members of the squadron. Sends required notices of all squadron meetings and executive committee meetings and is an ex-officio member of all committees under the Secretary s Department. ESD What does alternating current in fresh water cause? ESD, Electric Shock Drowning, occurs around docks, marinas or boats connected to shore power. Why is there electricity in the water? Mainly it is leaking from faulty electric wires on your boat, the dock, using household extension cords instead of shore power cords, and not using ground fault protection or using compromised safety ground fault. Electricity in fresh water will flow directly through the human body. Even in very small amounts it is enough to interfere with nerves and muscles. Larger amounts of electricity will almost always be fatal. The symptoms of electric shock can range from slight tingling sensation to a slight shock that is not painful, to a painful shock where you start to lose muscular control on up to irregular heart pumping and cardiac arrest. Tingling, numbness, or pain all indicate ESD. What you should practice around the water. Check your boat s electrical system yearly, do not do your own 120- volt AC electrical work on a boat, never swim within 100 yards of any dock using electrical power or marinas or boatyards and never dive to do work on underwater fittings on your boat, and do warn all children and guest about swimming around docks and boats. If you are trying to get the victim out of the water, Reach, Throw, Row, but Don t Go! Call for help. If the person is not breathing, perform CPR. Medical attention is important. Reference: boat/us.com/seaworthy/magazine JUNE 1 Karl Fisher 13 Jan Comeaux 23 Clint O Connor 27 Annabell Parker JULY July 8 Karen Werkenthin July 16 Paul Parker July 16 Max Werkenthin III July 29 Mary Anne Rickhoff P/D/C Charles V. Strong, JN Operations Training Officer Page 5

6 SHRIMP BOIL ON LAKE TRAVIS Sunday - 11 June Conestoga Cove, Lago Vista, Texas Home of Jim & Lindi Pollok GPS: N W Driving Directions: From Whitestone Blvd (FM 1431) in Cedar Park, travel west for approx. 13miles to Lohman Ford Rd. in Lago Vista. Turn left at the traffic light on to Lohman Ford Rd and go approx. 4miles to Boggy Ford Rd. Turn right on to Boggy Ford and ½ mile to a Y and stay left on to Highland Lake Dr. Go approx. 1.8miles on Highland Lakes Dr. to Continental. Turn left on to Continental, go one block to Cody. Turn left onto Cody, go one short block to Conestoga Cove. Your destination is at the corner of Cody and Conestoga Cove. Please bring an appetizer, salad or desert. Bring your lawn chairs and adult beverages. Cost $15.00 per person We will have social from 1100hours to1300hours. Lunch at 1300hours. Please RSVP to this , your calling committee or Jan Comeaux at Page 6

7 RECENT EVENTS IN PICTURES May/June, 2017 Rendezvous and Fish Fry at Lake LBJ The Coop Charting Geodetic Search Event Page 7

8 What s Ahead for APS JUNE 4 Coop Charting Geodetic outing (south Hwy 183) 11 Rendezvous and shrimp boil (see page 6) 13 E-board meeting 20 Coop Geodetic outing in Round Rock / Georgetown area (watch for flyer) 24 America s Boating Course (see page 3) JULY 11 E-board meeting We are America s Boating Club Visit our Austin squadron website: Austin Power Squadron 6105 Hudson Bend Rd. Austin, TX